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Time of India
08-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka high court quashes Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor land acquisition notifications & orders fresh award
Bengaluru: In a big relief for several landowners whose plots were acquired for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, Karnataka high court has quashed the acquisition notifications issued between 1998 and 2009. Justice R Devdas passed this order, allowing the petitions filed by P Manjunatha Reddy and others, on the grounds that no award has been passed to date and no part of the petitioners' land was utilised by the respondents for the formation of expressway, interchanges, toll plaza, peripheral road, or link road. "More than 23 years have passed since the notifications for acquisition were issued during the years from 1998 to 2009, and awards have not been passed by the special land acquisition officer (SLAO). Having regard for the plight of landowners who are deprived of the use and occupation of agricultural lands and are losing their livelihoods, this court has no other option than to follow the judgment rendered by the division bench in the Shakunthalamma case," the judge observed. In said case, acquisition was quashed on the grounds that no award was passed even after the lapse of 11 years. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru In a related development, Justice Devdas directed the SLAO to pass a fresh award within three months by taking into account the market value prevailing on April 22, 2019, in respect of A Abdul Rehman Khan and other landowners. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "The Supreme Court, in the Bernard Francis case, held that if compensation to be awarded at the market value of 2003 is permitted, it would amount to permitting a travesty of justice and making a mockery of the constitutional provisions under Article 300A," the judge further noted in his order. The state govt and Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board argued that the top court's order was confined to the petitioners therein. This contention wasn't accepted by the high court.
The Hindu
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Streamline process of land acquisition and award of compensation using technology, Karnataka High Court directs Chief Secretary
The High Court of Karnataka has directed the State Chief Secretary to streamline, using information technology, the process of acquisition, award of compensation, redetermination of compensation, etc., all land acquisition cases. The Chief Secretary should also lay down some guidelines of standard operating procedure with the assistance of e-government department to bring about transparency and efficiency in the system relating to grant of compensation on account of acquisition of land and while doing so, protect the interest of the land-losers, who are rendered voiceless in the proceeding, the court said. The court also said that the information technology tool to be used for streamlining the process should be capable of capturing the details of the acquisition notification, inquiry, report of the Special Land Acquisition Officers (SLAOs), final notification, court proceedings, reference of award to the courts, and all related proceedings and documents from the time of issuance of a preliminary notification till the final notification, including notices, file notings, etc. Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued the directions while pointing out the delay in the process of redetermination of compensation based on the civil court's order with respect to certain land that was acquired in 1991 for the Upper Tunga Project in Haveri district and for Konkan Railway project in Karwar of Uttara Kannada district. The SLAO had passed order on redetermination only in 2022, the court noted. The technology should have tools for day-to-day follow-up of the proceedings before the reference court, and day-to-day actions, and the responsibility of the each of the persons for the proceeding before the reference court, and other proceedings in the acquisition process, the court said. Meanwhile, the court directed the Chief Secretary to institute an enquiry on the delay in redetermination process in this case and submit a report within six weeks.
New Indian Express
09-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Karnataka HC refuses to quash graft case in ‘reverse trap'
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash a corruption case against AB Vijaya Kumar, joint director of municipal administration, who has been booked in a rare case of 'reverse trap' by the Lokayukta police. Kumar was allegedly caught while returning Rs 3 lakh he had received as a bribe from a complainant, a priest, under the pretext of making a 'donation to the temple'. The incident occurred while Kumar was serving as the special land acquisition officer (SLAO) in the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed Kumar's petition, challenging the FIR registered under Sections 7(a) and 7(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in 2022 and the subsequent proceedings. The court observed that a 'reverse trap' refers to a situation where a bribe-taker returns the illegal gratification to the bribe-giver, often for complex reasons.
India Gazette
31-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah asks districts to reduce child malnutrition by 1% every year
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 31 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday issued strong instructions to officials across the state during a major progress review meeting, saying that districts must work to reduce the percentage of severely malnourished children by at least 1 per cent every year. Addressing the issue of malnourished children, the CM said that although the problem cannot be eliminated overnight due to social challenges, districts must work to reduce the percentage of severely malnourished children by at least 1 per cent every year. He issued this directive to the Deputy Commissioners of Bidar, Vijayanagar, and Ballari. 'There are social reasons why it's not possible to eliminate the issue all at once. Therefore, reducing the percentage by 1 per cent every year can help,' he said. The meeting, attended by ministers and senior bureaucrats, witnessed the CM giving clear directives aimed at improving governance and service delivery. He also emphasised continuous health monitoring of children, including tracking haemoglobin levels, and questioned the lack of visible improvements in nutritional status despite the provision of milk, eggs, and supplements. 'A scientific report must be prepared to understand why there is no progress. Based on that, corrective steps should be taken,' the CM said. Siddaramaiah expressed dissatisfaction with the repeated excuses from officials regarding land acquisition for national highway projects. 'How many years will you keep repeating the same story?' the CM asked in a stern tone. He added that if needed, a special officer would be appointed exclusively to handle land acquisition. He warned that new highway projects would not be approved unless pending ones were completed. Minister Satish Jarkiholi supported the CM's view, saying, 'Out of 42 pending projects, 22 have been completed, but many issues are due to the central government.' He urged central authorities to be more active in resolving issues. To address delays, the CM directed that bottleneck issues be prioritised, and a circular be issued to bring Special Land Acquisition Officers (SLAOs) under Deputy Commissioners' control. Minister Krishna Byre Gowda added, 'Regular monitoring can help improve the situation.' The CM and ministers raised serious concerns about SLAO practices, especially regarding land compensation. 'There's often a huge gap between market value, guidance value, and the compensation determined by SLAOs. This places an unnecessary burden on the government,' the CM noted. He ordered a comprehensive review of SLAO operations and confirmed that they would now report directly to Deputy Commissioners. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah highlighted the high number of fake and ineligible ration cards in several districts. 'Scientific data shows that in no district can more than 60 per cent of people be eligible. If eligibility shows 80 per cent or 90 per cent, it is unacceptable. It's unjust to those who truly deserve it,' the CM said. He called for the elimination of fake, duplicate, and ineligible ration cards to ensure benefits reach the right people. During the review, it was also revealed that some government employees and teachers hold BPL cards. While they don't use them for food grains, they avail other services like free hospital treatment. The CM instructed that no eligible beneficiary should be denied, but ineligible ones must be removed carefully to ensure genuine people don't suffer. He asked Deputy Commissioners to explain what steps they had taken to cancel such cards, what challenges they faced, and what solutions they proposed. With clear directions across multiple departments, the CM's meeting marked a renewed push for accountability, fairness, and efficiency in governance. (ANI)
